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Volviendo a mis Raíces

National Latino and mainstream environmental organizations come together to host the largest-ever series of trainings to build Latino leadership in the fight against climate change across the United States.

Washington, DC – Today, Sachamama, The Climate Reality Project, Chispa, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and Voces Verdes (NRDC) joined forces to engage, educate, and empower Latinos to be advocates for climate solutions. The effort will leverage the Latino community’s culture of conservation to add to the chorus of voices calling for a more just, prosperous and sustainable world.

Our nation’s reliance on dirty fossil fuels continues to drive climate change and a crisis that disproportionately impacts Latinos. Today, more than half of US Latinos live in communities affected by climate impacts. At the same time, in states across the country, clean technologies like wind and solar are developing good middle-class jobs, and creating opportunities for prosperity without the fossil fuels devastating our climate. The “Volviendo a mis Raíces” training event will travel to four states – Nevada, Florida, Colorado, and Arizona – to share the story of solutions and will begin in Las Vegas, NV on April 2. The events are built off a cutting-edge training platform co-sponsored by Chispa, Climate Reality, World Wildlife Fund and Voces Verdes.

“For the past decade, Climate Reality has worked to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society,” said Ken Belin, CEO of Climate Reality. “We are proud to have our Climate Speakers Network join Chispa, NRDC, Sachamama, and WWF to continue to expand the chorus of voices calling for action by reaching out to the fastest growing community in the nation.”

“Latinos are at the epicenter of climate change. Over 55 percent of Latinos live in California, Texas, and Florida, states that are facing the worst impacts due to extreme drought, heat waves, and sea-level rise. Likewise, in Latin America over 13 million people suffered from the impacts of severe weather in 2015 alone,” said Vanessa Cardenas of the World Wildlife Fund. “Latinos are poised to act and bring attention to the devastating impact climate change has on their communities in the US and their ancestral homes in the Americas.”

“Latinos are already feeling the brunt of climate impacts. One out of every two Latinos lives in a county that frequently violates air pollution standards, and rising temperatures will only worsen the effects of air pollution. Now, more than ever, the future of our children and our grandchildren is in our hands,” said Adrianna Quintero, Founder and Director of Voces Verdes. “The good news is Latino leaders throughout the nation are rising up and raising their voices for action on climate. And we need to keep this momentum growing--the time for others to stand up is now."

We know our communities care profoundly about climate change and the threat it poses for our kids’ and grandkids’ future. But we have leaders in the U.S. Congress who not only attack some of this country’s basic protections to air and water but also deny the basic science of climate change,” explains Jennifer Allen, National Director of Chispa. “Clearly, it is time for our communities to step up and take action at an unprecedented scale. This series of trainings will connect Latino community members with the facts, resources and networks necessary to defend our communities’ health and future.”

ABOUT CHISPA

Chispa (“spark” in Spanish) is a program of the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund that ensures that Latino families’ voice and leadership is on the frontline of the fight against climate change and advocacy for solutions, like clean energy. Chispa is one of the largest efforts by national environmental organizations to diversify and strengthen its volunteer base while building the political power of Latino communities. Chispa has programs operating in Denver, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Las Vegas and in Maryland. For more information, visit www.lcv.org/Chispa or follow us @ChispaLCV

ABOUT THE CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT

Founded by Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore, The Climate Reality Project is one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to mobilizing action on climate change. With a global movement more than 5 million strong and a grassroots network of trained Climate Reality Leader activists, we are spreading the truth about the climate crisis and building popular support for clean energy solutions. For more information, visit www.climaterealityproject.org or follow us on Twitter at @ClimateReality

ABOUT SACHAMAMA

Sachamama is an environmental organization working to educate and motivate the Latino community about the current climate crisis, to shift public opinion, and to ensure climate change is a top priority issue in the social and political arenas. Visit www.sachamama.org and follow us @sachamamaorg

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND

WWF is the world’s largest conservation organization, working in 100 countries for more than half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.Climatico.us to learn more. And follow us / Síguenos @WWFNoticias

ABOUT VOCES VERDES

Voces Verdes is a non-partisan network of Latino business, public health, academic, community leaders and organizational partners who advocate for sound environmental policy to combat climate change and support clean, renewable energy. We recognize the importance of balancing economic growth, environmental protection and prosperity. Visit www.vocesverdes.com to learn more and follow us on Twitter @VocesVerdes.